Publix set to enter Knoxville market

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Publix Super Markets Inc. will make its debut in the Knoxville market next year with a store in the Northshore Town Center.

Publix currently has 30 supermarkets in the Tennessee, 27 of which are in Middle Tennessee while three are located in the Chattanooga area.

The 56,000-square-foot store in Knoxville will include a full-service deli department; bakery; service meat; service seafood; produce and pharmacy.

“We are proud to offer our unique shopping experience to customers in Knoxville,” says Todd Jones, president of Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix. “We are committed to providing premier customer service and look forward to supporting the Knoxville community as early as third quarter 2012.”

The Publix news followed closely on the heels of Whole Foods Market Inc. announcing plans to open its first Knoxville location. Costco Wholesale Corp. also plans to open a warehouse in Knoxville. The Publix supermarket will be neighbor to a Target Corp. discount store in the Northshore Town Center.

While Publix has not yet made any official announcement, press reports state that the chain will open a 49,098-square-foot store in Oxford, Ala., in fall 2012.

The plans were revealed by Oxford mayor Leon Smith, who stated that he had been working with developers to bring a Publix to the town for two years. The store reportedly will be part of a planned retail complex to be called Oxford Commons, which will include multiple retail, business restaurant outlets.

Overall, Publix operates more than 1,000 supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.